TNA parliamentarian S Sritharan peers through barbed wire fences constructed by the military. Photograph: Ceylon News
The Northern Provincial Council passed a resolution this week condemning the building of a Buddhist vihara by Sri Lankan troops on landing belonging to a Hindu temple in Kilinochchi.
The resolution passed on Tuesday, calls for the immediate halt of construction work on land within the premises of the Kanakambikai Amman Temple. Brought forward by NPC member Subramaniam Pasupathipillai, the resolution will now be delivered to Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
“The Kanakambikai Amman Temple has historical importance,” said Mr Pasupathipillai. “The military has occupied the house of the Gurukkal located inside the temple premises and approximately 4.5 acres of land. They are now constructing unlawfully a Buddhist vihara in the courtyard of the house.”
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Sivagnanam Sritharan visited the area recently, which has barbed wire fences on its perimeter.
“This is a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing of Tamils from their traditional homeland,” Ceylon News quotes the MP as saying. “This is a concerted Buddhist supremacist offensive by the government in the north using the military force.”
The Tamil National People’s Front’s Selvarajah Kajendran also commented on the development, stating that the move was “unacceptable”.
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